Type-writer ribbon-operating mechanism.



PATEN'IED JUNE 14, 1904.

J. ALEXANDER. TYPE WRITER RIBBON OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 9, 1903.

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No. 762,266. 7 PATENTED JUNE 14, 1904.

J. ALEXANDER. A TYPE WRITER RIBBON OPERATING MECHANISM APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 9, 1903. N0 MODEL. I

2 SHEETSSHEET WITNESSES:

g I ci ykgr fl/exa nder mveivrm A TTOHNE Y UNITED STATES Patented June 14, 1904.

PAT NT OFFICE.

JESSE ALEXANiJER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, AssIeNoR OF ONE- HALF T WAL E. seo'r'r, OF BROOKLYN, ew YORK.

TYPE-WRITER RIBBON-OPERATING MECHANISM.

'SIPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 762,266, dated J une' 14, 1904.

Application filed p emb r 9, 1903. Serial No. 172,484. (No model.)

To all u n/0m it may concern.-

Be it known thatI, JESSE ALEXANnnR,a citihave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type Writer Ribbon Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in type-writers, and particularly to the ribbon movement thereof.

This --invention consists in an improved method of mounting the ribbon-wind ing shafts so that they are adjustable in position relatively to the platen, in a method of directly operating the feeding-shaft from the universal bar, in an improved method of adjusting the tension on the universal bar, and in the means for automatically reversing the direction of wind of the ribbon.

The improvements will be more readily understood upon an inspection of the accompanying'two sheets of drawings and the following specification.

Figure l is a front elevation of those parts of a type-writer which embodythe improvements of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of my improvements, the upper part of the ribbon-winding shafts and spools being broken away and the type-bar pivot-plate removed. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the mechanism involving the improvements of my invention, the tension-adjusting device being broken away. Fig. i isa detail of the riblmn-guide, Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of the tension-adjusting device. Fig. 6 is a plan view of part ofthe automatic reversing mechanism. 1

1 and Qaretheribbon-windingshafts,which are pivotally mounted and supported at the upper endsby adjusting-blocks 3 and 4. These blocks have scrcw-tln-eadml stems engaged by the set-nuts 5 and 6, which operate on the outside of the upper side frames of the machine 7 and 8, the frames being slotted, as shownat 9 in F g. 3. The lower ends of the shafts are carried by yokes lo and ll, which are pivotally supported on the feeding-she ft 12. This shaft 12 is rotatable and lmigitudinally movable. At its ends it carries worm-wheelsl3 and 14, adapted to mesh with the worm-gears 15 and 16, carried by the two winding-shafts.

The direction of movement of the ribbon 17, which may be wound upon the spools 18 or 19, depends upon which set of worm-gearing is in operativeengagement. In the position shown in the drawings the left-hand ribbon- -more fully and claimed in another application filed by me herewith. The depression of the key-bar 22 causes the type-bar 23 to be raised to the printing position at the front of the platen 27. As it approaches this position the heel 28 of the type-barstrikes against the universal bar 2.) and forces it to the rear.-

The universal operating mechanism consists of the semicircular bar 29, the horizontal rod 30, and the two braces 31 and The rod 30 is guided in the bearing 33, which is supported at the rear of the machine. The front end 34 or the universal rod is guided in the type-bar plate 35. In its normal position the universal member is pressed toward the back of the type-bar plate by the tension of the spring 36.

The construction of the tension member is shown in Figs. 2 and The nd of the rod 30 is screw-threinled at -37 and provided with an adjusting-nut 38 and a set nut 39.

40 is a connecting-pin guided in a slot in the top of the rod 2h) and having its two ends bent upward, the back end resting against the a .ljustingnut 2-38 and the front end attached to the tension-spring 36. The other end of the tension-spring is attached to the post 33. it willthus be seen that the rod 30 is' forced forward by the tensiou'of the spring 36. lts tension can be adjusted by simply releasing the set-nut 39 and changing the position of the adjusting-nut 38 so as to move the connecting-pin to increase or decrease the tension of the spring 36.

It will be noted that the. universal member has a straight-line movement in the support of its forward end 34 and its rear part in the support 33. The. adjusting device for the tension-spring extends out to the. rear beyond the main body of the machine, so as to be more readily accessible.

41 is a bracket which is connected to the rod 30 and extends downward, carrying the pivoted pawl member 20. The pawl rests upon the teeth of the ratchet 21 and by the movement of the type-bar is moved to the rear each time the type-bar is struck. \Vhen the type-bar is released, the tension of the spring 36 forces the universal member for- .ward', and thus the pawl 20 rotates the ratchet 21 step by step.

Since this machine is of the front-strike class, it is desired that the ribbon be guided in such a manner as to be retracted from the printing. position at all times except at the instantefprinting. For this purpose] have provided the guide-frame 42 in the forks at the top of whichthe ribbon passes. The lower end of this frame 42 carries the roller 43, which rests in a cam-slot 44 in the front end 34 of the universal rod. frame 42 is supported at the rear ofthe typebar plate 35, and when the universal rod 30 isoperated the lower edge of the cam-slot 44 operates to raise the guide-frame 42 to the printing position. 1 have found that it is not necessary to make the length of the cam-surface suflicient to raise the guide-frame its full extent. The usual operation of the machine is at such a speed that a slight upward impulse given to the frame 42 will cause it to jump the entire distance necessary without having it forced upward throughout its entire movement. In other words, the frame being light the momentum is such as to give it a suflicientupward movement.

It will be noted on inspection of Fig. 3 that the ribbon when in the printing position, which is shown in dot-and-dash lines, is pulling straight from the ribbon-spool 18, the only twist occurring in the ribbon being occasioned by the angle which the ribbon takes in passing through the forks of the guideframe. In this manner the ribbon is caused to wind and unwind on the spools in an even manner at all times. The angle at'which the ribbon is wound and unwound maybe adjusted by tilting the winding-shafts about their pivots on the feeding-shaft 12. thus bringing the spools nearer to or farther from the platen.

As the end of a ribbon is,reach ed in unwinding from one spool the tension will become so great (the ends of the ribbon being fastened to the spools) that the winding-shaft The guide 1 1 will not turn, but the worm 13 will act asa screw and pull the feeding-shaft to the left, disengaging the left gears.

The shifting movement is assisted by the jump device. (Shown in Fig. 6.)

50 is a bar extending across the machine, to which is pivoted an .arm 51. The back end of this arm is forked and engages a stop 52, carried by the feeding-shaft 12. To the other end of the arm is pivoted the wheel 54 is. a block having a stem 55 and spring 56, so that the block engages the wheel 53 to i hold the arm 51 and stop 52 to the right.

57 and 58 are guides.

Vv'hen the feeding-shaft starts to move longitudinally, the arm 51 is moved to the left and the wheel 53 rolls over the curved face of the block 54. As soon as the leverage of the spring on the arm 51 is transferred to the opposite side of its pivot the device will assist to jump the shaft 12 the remaining distance to the left and throw the right-hand gears 14 and 16 into mesh. Of course the feedingshaft willthen act to wind the right-hand ribbon-shaft 2. The reversal is therefore effected automatically.

What I claim is-- 1. A ribbonperating mechanism including a pair of ri )bon-winding shafts pivotally mounted so as to swing toward and fromthe platen, and means for securing the windingshafts in position at various angles relative to the-platen.

2. A ribbon-operating mechanism including a pair of ribbon-winding shafts, side frames having slots therein, blocks forming bearings for said shafts and cooperating with the slotted portion of the frames, and set-nuts for holding the blocks in position, said shafts being mounted at an inclined angle toward the front of the machine butadjustable in regard to their angle of inclination.

3. A ribbon-operating mechanism including a feeding-shaft, yokes pivotally carried thereby, ribbon-winding shafts having bearwinding-shafts in position.

4. A ribbon-operatingmechanism including a feeding-shaft, yokes pivotally carried thereby, ribbon-winding shafts having bearings in said yokes, and adjustingrblocks forming bearings for said shafts near their upper ends.

5. A ribbon-operating mechanism including a longitudinally-movablc and rotatable feeding-shaft, yokes pi-votally mounted with respect to said shaft, worm-wheels carried by said shaft adjacent said yokes, winding-shafts pivoted in said yokes, gears carried by said winding-shafts and adapted to engage with said -worm-wheels, and means for adjusting the angular position of the winding-shafts.

(3. A ribbon-operating mechanism including a longitudinally-inovable and rotatable E feeding-shaft, yokes pivotally mounted with ings in said yokes, and means for securing the respect to said shaft, worm-wheels carried by said shaft adjacent said yokes, winding-shafts pivoted in said yokes, gears carried by said winding-shafts and adapted to engage with said worm-wheels, an'd'means for adjusting the angular position of the winding-shafts, comprising adjusting-blocks forming bearings for the shafts and set-nu ts 'coactin g therewith,

7. A ribbon-operating mechanism including a feeding-shaft, means for rotating the ,set of gears is in engagement, and a device for assisting in shifting the longitudinal position of the feeding-shaft comprising an arm having a slotted end engaging the fecdingeshaft, a wheel carried by the opposite end of said arm, a block having va curved surface, and a spring for pressing the block in contact with the wheel for the purpose specified.

9. A ribbon-operating mechanism including a feeding-shaft. means for rotating the same, a pair of ribbon-winding shafts, gears carried by said shafts for operating one or the other of the winding-shafts according to which set'of gears is in engagement, and a device for assisting in shifting the longitudinal position of the feedingshaft comprising apivoted arm having one end adapted to engage said shaft, a block coacting with the opposite end of said arm and a spring for pressing said block into its operative position.

10. A ribl' onoperating mechanism including a rotatable feeding-shaft, a universal bar, a vertical type bar plate, a universal rod mounted at the rear thereof, a stationary guide to the rear of said plate said rod being also guided at its front end in said plate, and means for pressing the universal bar normally toward the plate and a pawl carried by said rod for operating the feeding-shaft.

11. A ribbon-operating mechanism including a rotatable feeding-shaft, a universal bar, a vertical type-bar plate, a universal rod mounted at the rear thereof, a stationary guide to the rear of said plate said rod being also guided at its-front end in said plate, a spring secured to the stationary support, said rod having a screw-tln'eaded portion beyond the support provided with a slot, a connectingpin ,iarounted in said slot one end engaging said spring, and an adjusting-nut mounted on said rod engaging with the other end of said connecting-pin for pressing the universal bar normally toward the plate and a pawl carried by said rod for operating the feeding-shaft.

12. A ribbon-operatingmechanism including a iongitudinally-movable universal rod, ribbon-operating shafts, mechanism whereby the movement of the universal rod is transmitted to the ribbon-operating shafts, a stationary guide for said rod, an adjusting-nut operating on said rod, and a tension-spring secured at one end to said stationaryguide and cooperating at the other end with the adjusting-nut for the purpose specified.

13. A ribbon-operating mechanism including a universal rod, a ribbon-feeding shaft, mechanism whereby the movement of the universal rod shall operate the feeding-shaft, a stationary guide for said-rod, an extension from said rod to the rear of said guide having a screw-threaded portion and a slot extending longitudinally thereof, an adjusting-nut operating on the screw-threaded portion of said rod, a connecting-pin cooperating with the outer side of the adjustingmut and seated in saidslot, a spring surrounding said rod having one end secured to said guide and the other end secured to the inner end of the connecting-pin.

14. A ribbon-operating mechanism including a horizontally-movable universal rod, stationary guides for the front end and the rear end of said rod: 21 feeding-shaft and means of cooperation between the rod and the shaft, a semicircular universal bar, braces extending from the outer ends of the universal bar backward to the central portion of the universal rod, and means for holding the universal rod in its normal operating position and returning it thereto.

15. A ribbon-operating mechanism including a semicircular type-bar plate, a universal bar mounted at the rear thereof but horizontally movable and having a slotted portion therein, a ribbon guide-frame mounted to have a vertical movement and coacting at its lower portion with the slotted portion of the uni versal bar whereby the horizontal movement of the universal bar shall be translated directly into vertical movement of the ribbon guide-frame.

16. A ribbon-operating mechanism including a semicircular type-bar plate, a universal bar mounted at the rear thereof but horizontally movable and having a slotted portion therein, a ribbon guide-frame mounted to have a vertical movement and coacting at its lower portion with the slotted portion of the universal bar whereby the horizontal movement of the universal bar shall be translated di rectly into vertical movement of the ribbon guide-frame, the said slotted portion of the universal bar being furnished with a cam-surface inclined at such an angle that a partial movement of the universal bar shall throw the &

rihhon guido-fran1u to its highest point of movement.

17. A rihbon-oporating1no(.-hanism including a vertical somicircu lar typo-bar plate, a {mi 1' of ribbon-winding shafts mounted in front thereof and inclined forwardly at an angle thereto, a vertically-1noval lv ribhon guilloframe mounted to move vertically, tho rolativo heights of tho ribbon guiilwfranic and tho mazes winding-shafts andtlieir angular relation bo- IO ing such that tho b'bon carried by the winding-shafts will be' pulled in substantialb a straight inc from tho ribbon-spool at the m0- mcnt bf'jits feeding kmoration.

i 1-, JESSE ALEXANDER.

Rom. ALLY L. VRIGELANI). 

